Boat propulsion means



.6K/MMA Apr. 10, 1923. 1,451,412

l J. YOUNGSONv BOAT PRoPULsIoN MEANS Filed Aug. 27, -1921 2 sheets-sheet \1 nuefnoz Apr. 10, 1923. 1,451,412

J. YOUNGSON BOAT PRoPULsIoN MEANS ramas apr. 10,1923.r

. n rr s `:rsi/Ins YoUNGsoiv, orwinsroN-silrnaar, NORTH CAROLINA', nlssieno'n or y 'ro MICHAEL DQGANTT, vor wiNs'roN-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA.

Bon'r PaoPoLsIoN MEANS. f

Application` filed Augusta'z. 1921. seriai No. 495,857.51

To aZZf'whomvlt mag/.confieran Beit-,known thatI, JAMES YoUNcsoNf, acitizen ofthe UnitedStates, residing ati. l"Winstonalem, in the county of Forsyth and State yof North-Carolina, have invented certain new and usefull Improvements in Boat Propulsion Means, of which. the-following is aspecication This invention relates to boat propulsion means and has for an object the provision` of water wheels operated in.conjunctionil'with endless paddles t0 obtain a maximum impelling force which enables thc boat to attain a greater velocity in the water.

Another-object of the invention is to provide endless propulsion means, which, when traveling with the trend of the current will vrequire only a minimum amount of motive energy to operate the boat. n

A further object of the invention is to protect the propulsion means by encasing the latter within suitable walls to prevent contact of extraneous materials with said means,

the walls being perforate to permit free pasv sage of water therethrough... p

The above and other objects of this invention Will be in part described and in part understood from the following description' of the present preferred embodiment of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein v Fig. l is a to-p plank view of a boat show? ing a portion thereof removed to disclose propulsion means constructed in accordance with this invention; and

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View y taken on the line 2-K-2 of Fig. l looking in the directions of the arrows.

In the drawings a boat 3 is shown which may be of any desired size and configuration and made of any materials. Moreover the boat may be equipped with the usualor any desired typeof steering means.

Propulsion meansconstructed in accordance with this invention consists especially of two or more series of endless paddle chains, each series comprising apair of sprocket chains 4c which engage sprocket wheels 5 carried by driven shafts 6. By preference each series of paddle chainsis mounted in close proximity tothe side walls of the boat as shown in Fig. 1. Each pairl of chains 4 has mounted thereon and extended transversely thereacross paddles or bla-des 7. Each paddle in the present inst-ance is shown to", be of rectangularfshape land one of :its V*lateral margins 'fixedlyE secured fito:-` the sprocket .chains so that they paddles will* at all times begatfrightfangles to thechains.

The driven shafts f6 maybe. connected Jwith1 suitable power means fin. a.manner-Swell.'`

known Ain theiart."

Eachv series of paddle chains islprveferably: f mounted `to operatevparallel with'thenlongifeA i tudinal axis of the boatA and the vendstherefl terminate short of theven'dsl-oftheboatflAL driven. shaft 8 extends transversely through the boat and has the opposite ends thereof arranged midway between the upper and lower runs of the sprocket chains and journaled in the sides of the boat. The shaft 8 has a pair of paddle wheels mounted. thereon each of which consists of a hub 9 which has paddles l() radiating therefrom. Thehub 9 has its ends extendedslightly beyond the pair of chains through which it passes with its periphery in contact with the inner faces of the chains. Upon reference to Fig. 2 of the ldrawings it will be noted that upper andy v lower series of driven sha-ft 6 and sprocket sol wheels 5 are provided to retain the sprocket chains in a substantially oblong shape. This will prevent sagging of the chains or binding of the same onthe hub 9. Moreover the hub'carries peripheral teeth il which are engaged by the sprocket chains 4 to. produce a positive driving connection between the paddle wheel and sprocket chains. The paddles 10 of each paddle wheel `orwater wheel project between each pair of sprocket chains and impinge the paddles 7 In this way the driving force of the paddle chains is augmented. While it is apparent that power may be applied to the shafts 6 and 8for driving vthe sprocket chains and water wheel,

it is nevertheless to be understood that where l paddle wheels in conjunction with the im-l pact of the water. p

In order to protect the propulsion means from extraneous materials, such as dbris,

fish, Aor the like, a protective casing comprisinga series of perforate walls Il" is provided. These walls may be made of a rcticular material so as to permit influx of @il i Water therethrough for engagement with the paddles 7 and l0. As shown in the drawings preferably bottom, end and side Walls are provided to completely encase the propulsion means.` s

- In use of thisr device it is assumed that nnism to permit. the pro-pulsion means to be reversed when so desired. It is apparent that various changes may be made in this device,-espe'cially in the' details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts Withoutldeparting from the spirit and scopev of the appended claims.

What is claimed is l. Boat propulsion means including chains equipped With paddles, Water Wheels cooperable with said chains, and perforate means to encase said chains and paddle wheels substantially as described;

2. Boat propulsion means including chains equipped with paddles, paddle wheels cooperable with the chains, said chains and paddle wheels being arranged adjacent the sides of the boat, and perforatelWalls arranged beneath said paddle wheels and paddleV chains and extendingl upwardly at the sides thereof, in parallelism vwith they sides of the boat to encase said Wheels and chains.

In testimony whereof I aIiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES YOUNGSON.k Witnesses:

J. C. MARLAN, J. SfMAYNoR. 

